California's students score below their peers in other states. But how does the U.S. education system perform in comparison to other countries?

America's results on international tests are ordinary

Two major tests compare the learning of students around the world. According to both of them, American students are not at the head of the class.

Every three years, PISA (the Programme for International Student Assessment) tests a sample of 15-year-old students in over 70 countries in reading literacy, science and math. ("PISA" is pronounced like the name of the leaning tower.) In 2018, among the 35 major developed countries participating, American students scored about average in science and reading and below average in math.

The next test administration was delayed until 2022, disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The updated results focused on the “resilience” of international school systems during challenging times. In the US, average math scores dropped significantly, from 478 in 2018 to 465. Science and reading averages stayed about the same across the years. As usual, American students scored above the international averages in science and reading, and below average in math.

Are America's lackluster results new? Well, no. The US education system has trailed those of the PISA leaders for a long time. Many of the countries that tend to rock the test are in Asia. The US also routinely scores lower than Canada, Australia, the UK.

Is the PISA test accurate? Does it display a complete picture of student comprehension in reading literacy, math, and science? Another international test, TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study), confirms the findings.

How are TIMSS and PISA different? Glad you asked. Broadly, PISA emphasizes skills by asking students questions that require specific abilities. TIMSS, by contrast, emphasizes knowledge by asking questions that measure what students know. Even so, rankings based on these tests tend to align more than they differ.

How important are the PISA and TIMSS tests?

All over the world, brilliant people are working to make their schools great. By comparing school systems, researchers hope to find useful differences. Here are some major findings:

For a deeper dive into international comparisons of education systems, read What America Can Learn about Smart Schools in Other Countries by Amanda Ripley.

Not everyone agrees about the importance of PISA scores. Among the skeptics is Diane Ravitch, an education activist and historian:

Some policy experts such as Martin Carnoy of the Stanford Graduate School of Education argue that comparisons among states are more relevant than comparisons with other countries. (This argument should provide no comfort to Californians, as discussed in Ed100 Lesson 1.1.)

Want to improve America’s future economy? Make education work better, for lots of kids.

There's nothing wrong with kids in other countries doing well in school, of course. Education benefits everyone, not just Americans. But the scores are not just of theoretical interest.

Education drives economic growth

Educational achievement drives economic growth, and the PISA test has played an important role in proving it. In a 2010 study of educational attainment and national growth rates, revised in 2015 under the title Universal Basic Skills: What Countries Stand to Gain, Stanford professor Eric Hanushek and colleagues found that educational success in a country (as measured by the PISA exam) powerfully predicts future economic growth.

The implication is clear: Want to make America's future economy better? Make education work better, for lots of kids. If an investment enables kids to learn more successfully, in a way that can be confirmed by scores on the PISA exam, this analysis suggests that it makes sense to invest boldly. Investment in education can eventually pay for itself many times over, as professors Eric Hanushek and Ludger Woessmann write, “The overwhelming conclusion is that the magnitude of the impact of knowledge capital on growth appears to be so large that nations cannot afford to neglect the quality of their schools. Doing so would impair their economic future.”

Students in developing nations are learning, too

Education systems are improving all over the world. When it comes to educational opportunities, the world is converging.

America’s universities are a source of economic strength, and they attract talent from all over the world. But they are far smaller than the universities in China and India. China's universities already educate far more students than America's do and consequently, China produces more college graduates. As the college-going population continues to expand in China and India, pressures are mounting for those countries to develop research universities a global caliber. In the long run, America’s leadership in excellent quality higher education is certain to face increasing competition.

China and India both educate far more students than America does at every level - including college.

In a knowledge economy, top talent drives growth. America’s unique position as the global center for higher education is not fated to last forever. As the world becomes more equal, growing numbers of America’s best and brightest will choose to attend research universities in China and India, rather than the other way around.

The next lesson examines the cause of the strong connection between successful education and a successful economy. The nature of work has changed.

This page was updated December 2024